[mike_honcho]

I disagree. The world we have today couldn't be built on simple tools like Spreadsheets and Visual Basic. The amount of complexity in programming is necessary, and the outcome has been tremendous and miraculous if you think about it.

And we don't want to build a future where the masses should be programming! You want my mother to be programming? My sister? Why? I work as a software engineer and most of the time programming is the last thing I want to do when I get home!

Sure it can be overwhelming at times with all the new technologies coming out, but in the future technologies are going to be completely different, with AI and VR becoming more widespread, programming is going to have to change again. And good, because that is what will allow us to build the future!

[reacweb]

In my utopian world, I would like to edit the source code of my microwave so that it stops its annoying bips as soon as I open its door. I would love to remove the stupid nag screen that appears each time I start my nissan leaf.

I am not an electrician, but I can fix basic electric issues. Sometimes, I can fix broken furniture. I am a programmer and I can fix almost nothing.

When we can program, we are in control. I want to be in control of the objects I own, or at least to know that it is possible if I really want it. When I see all what already possible in the 90s with so simple computers, I do not think that the complexity is necessary.

[AstralStorm]

Sometimes you can... We did fix a few issues with a washing machine controller once.

But that took a lot of work on an undocumented software in machine code in 8051 and had the best tools.

The issue is that is not easily traceable from machine code representation. Even electronics are easier.

[ModernMech]

> You want my mother to be programming? My sister? Why?

Um.... yes? I think a better question is why not? Do you also not want your mother and sister to write or do math even if they are not authors or mathematicians?

[zbentley]

> And we don't want to build a future where the masses should be programming! You want my mother to be programming? My sister? Why? I work as a software engineer and most of the time programming is the last thing I want to do when I get home!

I think you may be part of the problem. Why gatekeep your loved ones if it's something they want to do? That implies crass arrogance at best, cruelty at worst.

[Glench]

Yo, I have to say something about the sexism in the parent comment for this thread. Specifically:

  > You want my mother to be programming? My sister?

This is sexist because it assumes that those people (women) can't / shouldn't be / aren't programmers. It's exclusionary and has the effect of making people who aren't male / professional programmers feel unwelcome. If instead you specified something like "people without proper training shouldn't build important systems" then that would be more accurate without being sexist.

And yes, of course we'd like your mother and sister to program, in the same way we want everyone to be able to read and write or drive a car. Programming is a wonderful tool that can do so much in many different contexts, and limiting that power to an elite few is a tragic loss of potential.

[AstralStorm]

Let's be ageist instead, since that is apparently more acceptable. /s

> you want my granddad to do programming?

[Glench]

You can skirt being prejudiced toward a specific group by just using the general case of someone inexperienced with programming.